Hard Bottom Tote

ABSTRACT

A hard bottom tote incorporates a substantially rigid, water proof and impact resistant base joined to a fabric body extending upward from the base. The fabric body incorporates stiffening members supporting the body in an upright and open position to facilitate loading the tote when empty. Stiffeners surround the mouth of the tote so that the mouth of the bag remains open. The disclosed tote has a tapered body configuration with a mouth of the tote larger than the base to facilitate nesting of multiple totes for storage when empty. A pair of handles extend above the mouth of the tote, supported by webbing sleeves incorporating stiffeners.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure relates generally to products that allow humans to carry,organize, and store items and more specifically to a heavy-dutyself-supporting tote.

Many tasks and occupations require devices that permit a person to carrya large number of relatively small items. A wide variety of carryingdevices are well known, including buckets, bags, boxes, plastic storagebins, hard and soft toolboxes and the like. Rigid carrying devices canbe advantageous in that they provide some protection from impact and theenvironment including water or other liquids to items stored therein.However rigid carrying devices cannot conform to an available space andmay occupy valuable storage volume even when empty. Soft carryingdevices such as bags can be advantageous in that they can be stored verycompactly when not in use, they conform to an available space even whenfilled, and may be constructed from a variety of materials dependingupon the intended use. Soft carrying devices and bags tend not to bevery protective of the items stored within in terms of impact andmoisture resistance. Soft carrying devices also tend to collapse whenempty, and often require the use of one hand or another person to holdthe soft device open when it is being filled.

There is a need for a carrying device that incorporates some of theadvantageous features of rigid and soft carrying devices.

There is also a need for a heavy-duty carrying device for use by outdoorenthusiasts, as well as in the construction, fishing, mining, andagriculture industries.

SUMMARY

A hard bottom tote according to aspects of the disclosure has agenerally tub-shaped base formed from self-supporting, water proof,abrasion and impact resistant material. Base materials such as plasticand rubber and construction methods such as molding or thermoforming arecompatible with the disclosed hard bottom tote, with the material of thebase being less flexible than the material of the body of the tote. Thedisclosed hard bottom tote incorporates a substantially rigid plasticbase which defines a support surface and resists penetration from bothinside and outside the tote. “Substantially rigid”, as used in thisapplication is intended to encompass base materials and configurationswhere the base is less flexible than the tote body and meets thecriteria of being self-supporting, water proof, impact and abrasionresistant.

A flexible tote body extends upward from the base and includes a pair ofhandles arranged for carrying the tote. The flexible tote body isconstructed from materials selected for strength, resistance toabrasion, cutting and common chemicals. The tote body is constructed sothat it will be substantially self-supporting when the tote is empty.The tote body may define a plurality of elongated pockets for receivingstiffening members that increase the stiffness of the tote body so thatit will stand on its own. The stiffening members themselves are notrigid and the resulting tote body remains flexible enough to conform tothe shape of its contents, conform to the available storage space whenpartially filled, and be folded or collapsed when not in use. Thedisclosed hard bottom tote may incorporate stiffening members around themouth of the tote, to provide stiffness at this location that will tendto hold the mouth of the tote open during use. The base may take theform of a concave tub, protecting the contents from liquids orcontaminants present on surfaces upon which the hard bottom tote isplaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a hard bottomtote according to aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the hard bottom tote of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left end view of the hard bottom tote of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view looking down into the hard bottom tote of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, partial sectional view through one end of thehard bottom tote, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partial sectional view through the hard bottomtote of FIG. 4, taken along line 6-6 thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of a hard bottom tote according to aspects of the disclosurewill now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 and will generally bereferred to by the reference numeral 10. Various materials, methods ofconstruction, methods of manufacture, and methods of fastening will bediscussed in the context of the disclosed embodiments. Those skilled inthe art will recognize known substitutes for the materials,manufacturing methods, and fastening methods, all of which arecontemplated as compatible with the disclosed embodiments and areintended to be encompassed by the appended claims.

One object of the disclosed hard bottom tote is to provide a carryingdevice with some of the the advantages of a fabric bag (conforms to theshape of its cargo and available space, folds for storage when empty)and some of the advantages of rigid containers (protects contents fromthe environment, stands upright on its own). Over time and with use,fabric bags tend to break in and become very flexible, even limp. Brokenin fabric bags will not stand on their own and frequently require aperson to hold the bag upright and open while a second person placesobjects in the bag. The disclosed hard bottom tote incorporatescomponents selected and assembled to provide the body of the tote withadded stiffness, e.g., resistance to bending that will permit the toteto stand upright and hold itself open, even after long use when the bodyof the tote is broken in.

The disclosed embodiment of a hard bottom tote 10 includes a supportedfabric bag body 12 secured to a concave, substantially rigid base 14.The disclosed embodiments employ a molded plastic base 14, but othermaterials and methods of manufacture are compatible with the disclosedhard bottom tote 10. The base 14 includes a downward projecting foot 16,which defines a generally planar base surface 18 configured to supportthe tote 10 in an upright position. The disclosed base 14 defines aconcave tub approximately 2 to 3 inches in depth, although the depth ofthe base 14 may vary according to the dimensions and intended use of thetote 10. The upper extremity of the base 14 includes an outwardlyprojecting rib 20 and an upwardly projecting lip 22. The bag body 12 isconfigured to overlap with the lip 22 and is secured to the base 14 by aplurality of stainless steel rivets 24. A variety of methods andfasteners may be employed to form the connection between the bag body 12and the base 14, which is not limited to the disclosed stainless steelrivets 24.

The disclosed bag body 12 is constructed from various fabric and webbingcomponents secured to each other by stitching and fasteners such asrivets. In the disclosed embodiments, the bag body 12 is generallysymmetrical, with the appearance of the front of the bag generallyresembling that of the rear of the bag, and the right and left endsgenerally resembling each other. A symmetrical configuration is notrequired and the bag body 12 may have one or more asymmetrical featuresdepending upon the intended use. In the disclosed embodiments, the bagbody 12 includes two primary panels 26 of 1800 denier polyester fabricthat may be coated or treated for moisture resistance. The fabric andwebbing components of the bag body 12 are generally secured to eachother by stitching with nylon thread, though other high-strength threadmay also be employed. Stitched connections may be reinforced with rivetsas needed for strength or for decorative purposes. The material for thebag body 12 will be selected depending upon the intended use of the tote10 and is not limited to any particular material. Generally speaking,the bag body 12 should be durable, with good resistance to abrasion,common chemicals and the like. The bag body 12 is intended to beflexible and have the properties of a soft carrying device, whichpermits the resulting tote 10 to conform to the shape of its contentsand be collapsed for compact storage when empty. Woven, non-woven, sheetplastic or laminated materials may be employed to construct the body ofthe disclosed hard bottom tote.

The bag body 12 is not limited to the disclosed number of panels 26 orother components, which may vary according to design preference. Theupper end or mouth 28 of the bag body 12 has a greater circumferencethan the bottom end 30. This configuration is achieved by configuringthe primary panels 26 in the shape of a trapezoid, with the shorter sideof the trapezoid at the bottom 30 of the bag body 12. The result is atapered tote 10 that is larger at its mouth 28 than at its base 14. Thistapered construction facilitates nesting of multiple totes 10 with themouth 28 of each tote 10 large enough to receive the base 14 of the samesize tote 10 nested within. A number of empty totes 10 may be stored ortransported compactly according to this feature of the disclosedembodiments.

Strips of nylon material 32 are folded over the upper and lower ends 28,30 of the bag body 12 for protection and to provide a finishedappearance. The folded nylon material 32 also reinforces the lower end30 of the bag body 12 where the rivets 24 secure the bag body 12 to thebase 14. Folded nylon material 32 is also used for protection andfinishing at the upper edges of the pockets 34 and along the edges ofthe primary panels 26 which are exposed inside the tote 10. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that a variety of techniques may beemployed to finish the edges of fabric assemblies such as that of thebag body 12. For example, the material of the bag body panels 26 mightbe folded over one or more times and stitched to provide a reinforcedfinished edge.

The front and rear of the bag body 12 include webbing assemblies 36 thatextend from the lower end 30 of the bag body 12 to handles 38 projectingabove the mouth 28 of the bag body 12. In the disclosed embodiments,each webbing assembly 36 includes two polypropylene webbing strips sewntogether at their longitudinal edges to form a sleeve open at both ends.While this sleeve is flat and empty, a rectangle if durable, flexiblematerial that will form the handle is stitched to the longitudinal edgesof the sleeve, which is then folded and the long edges of the rectangleof material are sewed to form a handle 38 as shown in FIG. 3. In thedisclosed embodiments, the handle material is leather and the handle isreinforced by rivets at either end. The handle 38 may include a rod ortube of flexible material (not shown) inside the folded sleeve to expandthe volume of the handle 38 for improved ergonomics. In one embodiment,a ¼ inch diameter flexible round plastic piping is used for thispurpose, but other materials and sectional shapes may be used.

The webbing assemblies 36 on the front and rear of the tote 10 includean internal stiffener 40 extending from either end of the handles 38 tothe bottom end 30 of the bag body 12. In the disclosed embodiments, theinternal stiffener 40 is a 1 mm thick strip of polyethylene (PE) plasticsheet, though other materials are compatible for use as a stiffenerwithin a webbing assembly. The thickness of the stiffener will beselected depending upon the desired properties of the tote, with thickermaterial generally resulting in a webbing assembly 36 that is lessflexible. The stiffener 40 is cut to a width that allows it to beinserted into the sleeve formed by the webbing assembly 36. The upperend of each stiffener 40 may be pointed or tapered to fit into thetriangular space formed where the webbing is folded to form the handle38. The resulting webbing assembly 36 is flexible, but has a stiffnessthat supports the front and rear sides of the tote 10. The stiffness ofthe webbing assemblies also supports the handles 38 for grasping by theuser. The webbing assemblies 36 are stitched and riveted to the frontand rear primary body panels 26. The bottom ends of the webbingassemblies 36 are covered by the folded trim strip 32. As shown in FIG.6, when the bag body 12 is riveted to the lip 22 of the base 14, one ofthe fasteners 24 may pass through the bag body panel 26, webbingassembly 36, and trim strip 32, forming a robust structural connectionbetween the webbing assemblies 36 and the base 14. In an alternativeembodiment shown in FIG. 5, a flap 42 may be provided to cover the lip22 which would otherwise be exposed on the inside of the tote 10. Theflap 42 may be penetrated by the rivets 24 or may cover the rivets 24.

Pockets 34 may be provided on the front and rear of the tote 10 betweenthe descending legs of the webbing assemblies 36. The pockets 34 may beof various configurations from a single, open pocket to smaller,separated pockets according to need and design preference. Layers offabric material may be employed to form a tiered or nested arrangementof pockets, as desired. In the disclosed embodiments, a horizontalreinforcement 44 is arranged across the bottom edge of the pocket 34.The reinforcement is to prevent holes or cuts from forming at the bottomof the pocket from parts and tools with points or sharp edges insertedinto the pockets 34. In the disclosed embodiments, the horizontalreinforcement 44 is a strip of polypropylene webbing stitched to theoutside of the pocket material at the bottom margin of the pocket 34 andfinished with a folded trim strip 32. Other arrangements of pockets atthe corners and/or ends on the outside and on the inside of the tote 10are contemplated in alternative embodiments of the disclosed tote 10.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, each end of the bag body 12 includes anend webbing assembly 46 extending from the bottom 30 to the top 28 ofthe bag body 12. The end webbing assembly 46 includes a webbing sleeve50 surrounding a stiffener 40. The longitudinal edges of two strips ofwebbing material are sewn together to define a sleeve 50 into which astrip of 1 mm thick PE sheet is inserted. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5,another narrower strip of web material 52 is sewn to the outside web ofthe webbing sleeve 50 and is turned back on itself at an upper end tocapture a D ring 54. A second D ring 56 is captured by a webbing strip48 that is inserted behind the flap formed by the turned down upper endof web material 52. The layers of web material capturing the D rings 54,56 are stitched and riveted together, providing strong attachment pointsfor shoulder straps (not shown) or for hanging tools such as a hammer.

The completed end webbing assemblies 46 are sewn to the finished edgesof the bag body panels 26 to form the tapered bag body 12. Finally, trimstrips 32 are folded over the top and bottom ends 30, 28 of the bag body12 to provide a finished appearance to the bag body while addingstrength and abrasion resistance. Each body panel 26 includes astiffener 40 captured beneath a fabric strip 58 sewn to the top edge ofthe panel 26. In the disclosed embodiments, the fabric strip 58 isfolded over the top edge of the panel 26 and stitched in place to form ahorizontal pocket 60 surrounded by the fabric strip 58. The longitudinaledges of the fabric strip 58 are folded under to present a finishedappearance to the installed fabric strip 58. The stiffener 40 at the topend 28 of the bag body 12 is a strip of 1 mm thick PE sheet sized to beinserted to the pocket 60 defined by the fabric strip 58.

The stiffener 40 at the upper end 28 of the bag body 12 extends betweenthe end webbing assemblies 46, but does not overlap with the end webbingassemblies 46. The connection between completed body panels 26 and theend webbing assemblies 46 is a fabric connection which functions as ahinge, allowing the mouth defined at the upper end 28 of the bag body 12to collapse in a front to back direction when the bag is not full.However, the stiffener 40 adjacent the upper end 28 of the bag body 12does provide some structure to the bag body 12 and in combination withthe webbing assemblies 36 and handles 38, tends to hold the bag body 12open and in an upright position that is very helpful when the tote 10 isbeing used. It will be noted that the vertical legs of the webbingassemblies 36 overlap with and are stitched and riveted to thehorizontal fabric strip 58 and stiffener 40 at the upper end 28 of thebag body 12. The rivets 24 pass through all the layers of the webbingassembly 36, the fabric strip 58, body panel 26, and stiffener 40, tyingthe vertical stiffener 40 within the webbing assembly 36 to thehorizontal stiffener 40 at the upper end 28 of the bag body 12. When thehandles 38 are positioned outside the footprint of the tote 10, theweight of the handles tends to hold the mouth of the bag body 12 open,making the tote 10 easy and convenient to use.

Embodiments of a hard bottom tote have been described for purposes ofillustration and should not be interpreted as limiting the disclosedhard bottom tote to the specifics of the disclosure. The disclosedembodiments have been described in terms of particular materials,construction methods, proportions and functionality. Those skilled inthe art will recognize that the advantages of the hard bottom tote asdescribed could be achieved with alternative materials, constructionmethods and proportions without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. All such alternatives are intended to be encompassed by theappended claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A hard bottom tote comprising: a substantially rigidbase defining a support surface and a peripheral lip; a bag bodyextending from a lower end secured to said peripheral lip to an upperend defining a mouth, said bag body constructed of flexible material andincluding support sufficient to hold the bag body in an upright positionprojecting above said base; at least one handle secured to said bagbody.
 2. The hard bottom tote of claim 1, wherein said bag body isprimarily constructed of fabric and includes a stiffening member.
 3. Thehard bottom tote of claim 2, wherein said stiffening member comprises aplurality of non-fabric stiffening members captured in pockets definedby the bag body.
 4. The hard bottom tote of claim 3, wherein saidstiffening members are elongated along a longitudinal axis, at least oneof said stiffening members is positioned with its longitudinal axissubstantially perpendicular to said support surface and at least oneother of said stiffening members is positioned with its longitudinalaxis substantially parallel with said support surface.
 5. The hardbottom tote of claim 3, wherein said stiffening members are elongatedalong a longitudinal axis and at least one of said stiffening membershas an orientation substantially perpendicular to said support surface.6. The hard bottom tote of claim 1, comprising a plurality of elongatedstiffening members secured to said bag body at a plurality of spacedapart locations.
 7. The hard bottom tote of claim 1, wherein said bagbody includes at least one web assembly comprising: first and secondwebbing strips each having a length and a pair of longitudinal edges,said longitudinal edges joined to define an elongated pocket betweensaid webbing strips; and an elongated stiffening member in said pocket,wherein said first and second webbing strips have a first bendingresistance and said web assembly has a second bending resistance greaterthan said first bending resistance.
 8. The hard bottom tote of claim 7,wherein said stiffening member is a strip of plastic having dimensionsselected to permit the strip to be inserted into said elongated pocket.9. The hard bottom tote of claim 1, wherein said bag body includes anelongated pocket defined adjacent said upper end and an elongatedstiffening member within said elongated pocket to increase the stiffnessof said bag body.
 10. The hard bottom tote of claim 1, wherein saidelongated stiffening member is interrupted.
 11. A hard bottom totecomprising: a concave substantially rigid base including a supportsurface, a peripheral wall extending upwardly from said support surfaceand terminating in an upstanding lip; a bag body joined to saidupstanding lip and extending away from said base to an upper enddefining a mouth, said bag body defining at least one elongated pocket;at least one elongated stiffening member received in said at least oneelongated pocket, wherein said bag body is supported by said at leastone elongated stiffening member so that said bag body extends in anupright position above said base, when said tote is resting upon saidsupport surface.
 12. The hard bottom tote of claim 11, wherein said atleast one elongated pocket includes a plurality of elongated pocketsdistributed about the bag body and said at least one elongatedstiffening member includes a plurality of elongated stiffening membersreceived in said plurality of elongated pockets.
 13. The hard bottomtote of claim 12, wherein at least one of said plurality of elongatedpockets has a longitudinal orientation generally parallel with saidsupport surface and at least one of said plurality of elongated pocketshas an orientation generally perpendicular to said support surface. 14.The hard bottom tote of claim 11, wherein said bag body comprises atleast one handle.
 15. The hard bottom tote of claim 11, wherein said atleast one elongated pocket is defined between webbing strips joinedalong their elongated longitudinal edges.
 16. The hard bottom tote ofclaim 11, wherein said bag body is tapered, having a larger opening atsaid mouth than at said base.
 17. The hard bottom tote of claim 11,wherein said at least one elongated pocket includes a plurality ofelongated pockets having a longitudinal orientation substantiallyperpendicular to said support surface, said plurality of elongatedpockets being arranged in spaced apart relationship about acircumference of said bag body.